


like real people do

by orphan_account



Series: lovely little ladies in love [3]
Category: Lovely Little Losers
Genre: Baking, F/F, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 09:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6112405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Do you think,” Hero murmurs, leaning against the counter and looking at the tiled floor, “this could count as a first date, so I can kiss you next time? I’m classy, see, kissing on the second date.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	like real people do

**Author's Note:**

> written for lovely little femslash day 5, 'firsts'.

Jaquie watches Hero bustle about the kitchen from the doorway, lent against the frame sleepily.

“Hero,” she says softly, fascinated with the slope of her shoulder, the curl of her lavender hair against her jawline. “What are you doing?”  

“Making banana bread,” Hero replies, not looking up. “For Leo, after his operation. He loves banana bread.”

“You need help?” Jaquie asks carefully; Hero looks up, blinking.

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

“I’d like to,” Jaquie interrupts her protest, wanting to smooth the crease from her brow; she doesn’t, because she doesn’t want Hero to think that her interest in her is the reason for her kindness. She’s being kind, she’s befriending Hero, because Hero—and Leo, and their moms— needs all the support she can get.

“Well,” Hero says, looking a little lost. “You could measure out the flour?”

Jaquie nods, smiles as she reaches up over her head to get the flour from the cupboard.

Hero and her family are staying in the flat—now belonging to Peter, Balth, Freddie and Kit, with Beatrice and Ben moved out, their travels on hold for the moment— while Leo has an operation nearby. Jaquie hadn’t pushed for details, but Beatrice had sounded hopeful, though Jaquie wonders if that’s for Hero’s sake.

Hero has been frantic and snappish and, even though Jaquie hadn’t known her before she had come to Wellington in tears, Jaquie can tell she’s a sweet girl usually. She’s anxiety-ridden, bearing all the stress because she doesn’t want anyone else to, and Jaquie thinks that the way people are tiptoeing around her is only making her more on edge. 

So, she tries her best to be casual, be friendly but not overbearing.

While Jaquie measures out the ingredients, Hero mashes the bananas, and Jaquie watches the lines at her eyes fade and the tense of her jaw ease. It’s an easy, comfortable silence and when they’re both done, they look at each other, as if they’re both reluctant to break the peace.

“Could you break the eggs?” Hero eventually says, gesturing to them.

“Sure,” Jaquie says, smiling at her reassuringly.

Any uncertainty Hero had—any desire to reject her help—falls away. They both bask in the quiet, moving around each other easily, their arms and hands occasionally brushing; at first, they startle, but it becomes pleasant after a while.

It almost feels dreamlike; the light scent of banana and sugar, the soft touches, the shy smiles, the peacefulness.

Reality cuts through it when they put the dough in the oven. Jaquie is made acutely aware of the situation, how Hero is barely a friend and not in a place to deal with her affections, how she’s tired and scared and—

“Thank you,” Hero cuts through her thoughts. “This is the first time I’ve felt, well, normal, in a while. So, thank you, really.”

“It was nothing,” Jaquie mutters, her pulse fluttering at Hero’s sweet smile and her warm eyes. “It was fun.”

“We should do it again,” Hero says, quiet and almost shy. Hopeful.

“Yeah,” Jaquie replies, feeling clumsy, fumbling for words good enough to express herself; it’s strange, she’s not used to feeling awkward because of another person.  

“Do you think,” Hero murmurs, leaning against the counter and looking at the tiled floor, “this could count as a first date, so I can kiss you next time? I’m classy, see, kissing on the second date.”

“You could kiss me now,” Jaquie blurts, though thankfully it sounds more suave and flirtatious and less like her heart’s stopped. But, still, she backtracks. “Shit, sorry, this probably isn’t a good time with your brother and all—”

Hero stops her with a kiss to her cheek. “You’re sweet,” she says, breath warm against her jaw as she pulls away. “Leo will be fine, he’ll recover, I know that. It’s just, with everyone treating me like I’m fragile, it—it irritated me. But you didn’t.”

“I didn’t want to condescend,” Jaquie explains, resting back against the counter. Hero bumps their shoulders together.

“And I’m grateful for that. How about that second date, then?”

Jaquie can’t help the grin that spreads across her face, ducking her head. “Yeah, of course.”

Hero’s smile grows into a wild grin. “Nice. Leo’ll be insufferable though, he was the one saying I should ask you. He likes you, you know.”

“Glad I have your brother’s approval.”

“I don’t need it, but yeah. It’s nice,” Hero says. “I’ll tell him tomorrow, when I see him. Should probably get the bread out, actually.”

“Yeah,” Jaquie agrees, smiling helplessly. “So, what are we making next time?”

“Hm,” Hero hums, faux-pensive, putting on oven gloves. “How do you feel about macarons?”

“I dunno,” Jaquie says. “I’ll suppose we’ll find out.”


End file.
